Update 23: Brown, Conrad, Kirk, Murkowski, Snowe, Voinovich all came through as ayes. That means we’ll get more than 60. Game, set, match.

Update 22: Thing #1,422 that would make the Senate less archaic: Live tally of Senators voting yea vs. nay. And clerk announcing a Senator’s vote after calling their name. And dispense with the alphabetical reading. Wow, that’s three things already. I guess the Senate really is freaking archaic.

Update 21: And yeas and nays are called for. Clerk is now calling the drumroll, I mean, roll. Here we go.

Update 20: After some commotion in the gallery, Sen. Lieberman rises to ask for support for the cloture motion. The big vote coming up in a few minutes. It’s 11:38 AM EST.

Update 19: The DREAM Act goes down, 55-41. We have some work to do for our immigrant brothers and sisters also victimized by oppression.

Update 18: Collins, who for some reason has disappeared from the face of Capitol Hill since she introduced the bill with Lieberman and seemingly couldn’t be bothered to speak in favor of her own bill this morning, just voted no on DREAM.

Update 17: Brown of Massachusetts, Snowe, Tester, Nelson of Nebraska went no on DREAM. All swing votes. Lugar, Dorgan, Conrad, Landrieu went yes, but it’s hard to see a path to victory without those 4 based on target lists I’ve seen.

Update 16: Dear Sen. Collins, it would have been nice if you’d shown up to speak in favor of your own bill. Just a thought. Love, repeal advocates.

Update 15: At 11:12 AM EST, morning business and debate is brought to a close. A vote will now be coming up in the next few minutes on the DREAM Act. If it fails, the Senate will immediately proceed to a cloture vote on DADT. Note that that vote will not be final passage, but will be the “big kahuna” in the sense of the largest remaining legislative roadblock we have to remove.

Update 14: The Majority Leader steps up to passionately speak about the DREAM Act around 11 AM, and about how fortunate we are to have immigrants in the first place, who help build this country. Which makes me think how lucky I am to have my gay immigrant boyfriend next to me right now

Update 13: Following Sen. Durbin’s outstanding speech calling for courage on behalf of Senators concerned they are taking a “tough political vote”, Sen. McConnell steps up to whine about process and lack of amendments. Maybe if Republicans haven’t blocked everything in sight, we wouldn’t have to have an expedited process.

Update 12: Man, McCain is peeved that he can’t introduce his poison pill amendment. Ranting about process and elections.

Update 11: The Senators from the great (and my home) state of New York, Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer, step up to advocate strongly for DADT repeal and DREAM Act, respectively. Sen. Schumer is right- we will prevail on the DREAM Act, sooner or later.

Update 10: The DREAM Act speeches from Republicans are something. If you oppose kids who are undocumented through no fault of their own gaining legal status through education, of all things, we have a very long way to go on comprehensive immigration reform. Goodness’ sake.

Update 9: A colleague just pointed out that Sen. Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew so frum (here’s a definition of that) that he wouldn’t campaign on Saturdays before sunset during the 2000 Presidential campaign, is working this morning. Good for him.

Update 8: Sen. Lieberman is up discussing American history and the experience after expanding freedom and rights given in the Declaration of Independence for African-Americans, women, and other oppressed individuals.

Update 7: Just a note folks, as I wrote at the top, if you’ve appreciated and liked the coverage here the past few weeks, it unfortunately doesn’t come free, so please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Courage Campaign Institute. The dollars you spend through the link about go straight back into Prop8TrialTracker.com and helps not only maintain, but expand our coverage to the issues you’re interested in- including allowing us to place folks like me, Rick, Arisha and others to report from on the ground, whether it’s live from the U.S. Senate, the Prop 8 courtroom, or keeping tabs on NOM around the country. We can expand that to report from marriage equality battleground states in 2011, not to mention other issues, if you chip in $10, $20, $50 or more today.

Update 6: Although it would be nice if Webb learned to talk like he’s never met a gay person in his life. He just said it would be nice we let those serve who have an “open lifestyle, not, uh, lifestyle, but open way of living among people who have different points of view.” Um.

Update 5: Sen. Webb, who voted nay in committee some months ago, has come around to speak in favor today. He’s one vote we can credit, at least in part, to the report and the advocacy of military leaders.

Update 4: Sen. Mark Udall, who has been a very loud and proud voice for repeal, just finished speaking. For all the attention on Sens. Lieberman and Collins (and by the way, did anyone else find it odd we have heard nary a peep from Collins more or less since last week’s vote?), Sens. Mark Udall and Gillibrand have been very much out there for some time. I remember Sen. Gillibrand in 2009 introducing stand-alone legislation, actually.

Update 3: Man, rising before 9 on a Saturday + watching Sen. Sessions with breakfast is a bad combination. Fortunately, Sen. Wyden, who is going the extra distance by being here with impending surgery on Monday, steps up to say, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is wrong! I don’t care who you love, if you love this country enough to risk your life for it… you should be able to serve!”

Update 2: The question of debate time has come up. If we assume cloture is not invoked on the DREAM Act and it is on DADT repeal, then the Senate will have to spend 30 hours’ worth of legislative consideration. The 30 hours can be waived, but usually only by unanimous consent- or, technically, they could get 2/3rds (67 Senators) voting to suspend Rule XXII, but neither scenario is likely at the moment. Despite the expected 60+ votes for cloture, 90%+ of the Republican caucus still is opposed to repeal and many (McCain and co.) will want their say. Plus, Republicans just seem to revel is slowing things down as much as possible to prevent legislative consideration of judges and other nominees they’ve held up this year. On the other hand, everyone wants to go home for the holidays. So we’ll see.

Update 1: The Senate is now in session. First vote is expected at approximately 10:30 AM EST on the DREAM Act. It is increasingly looking like the votes are not there for DREAM, which means they’ll spend around 15 minutes voting, it will go down, then we’ll have a vote on DADT around 10:50 AM EST. Sen. Jeff Sessions is ranting about social agendas, DREAM Act and DADT. I’m not going to spend much time writing about that, or anyone else’s rant/speech, unless it’s notable.

This morning, the Senate will consider a cloture motion on the DREAM Act and, if cloture is not invoked, will also consider a cloture motion on repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” From the Senate calendar:

Convenes: 9:00am Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume executive session to resume consideration of the New START Treaty. Following any Leader remarks in Executive session, the Senate will turn to Legislative session and be in a period of morning business until 10:30am with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.

At 10:30am, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 4 roll call votes in relation to the following items:

– Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R.5281, (DREAM Act);
– if cloture is not invoked on the DREAM Act, the Senate would proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R.2965 (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell);
– Following the cloture vote/s, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination of Albert Diaz, of North Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; and
– On confirmation of the nomination of Ellen Hollander, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland.

It is looking unlikely cloture (60 votes) will be invoked on the DREAM Act, but if it is, then the Senate will have to spend 30 hours’ worth of legislative consideration on that bill and that will be the only one considered, meaning a vote on DADT will not be taken until it is finished, meaning it would be pushed off until later in the weekend. Once cloture is invoked, the measure on which it is invokved becomes the only permissible pending business. So, today may not be very exciting. But if cloture is not invoked on the DREAM Act, they will proceed directly to DADT later this morning and then we’ll have a denouement to the drama. Again, cloture is the last big legislative hurdle remaining.

I will update the post during leader remarks after the Senate goes into session. Updates will scroll from the top.

Will be around off and on in the am, then off to join family in Santa Barbara for Christmas. We'll be staying in a rental and don't know yet if there's internet access there. So may not be around much. But will definitely check in when I can.

4. Straight Dave | December 17, 2010 at 11:10 pm

An awful lot of chores are not getting done today as I stay glued to my laptop/TV. I'll also try to DVR the DADT debate/votes if I can manage to not wipe out my wife's favorite recorded shows. Don't have enough space to just leave it on "record" all day.

I've been living in lurker mode the past few months, but following the action when I can without trashing the rest of my life. I greatly appreciate the work of Adam and the other CC members, plus the larger "comment community" for keeping us so well informed during the latest build up.

I heard an interview on NPR last night with Sen Kit Bond, himself, where he was saying very definitely that he was NOT going to support DADT repeal. I tried to phone his office this morning to verify, but they were closed at the time. Maybe open later today if the Senate is in session-not completely clear.

Happy watching/listening to all today. I wish we were all in a giant building together somewhere, or maybe an outdoor warm weather field(not in MA), where we could all cheer and celebrate and pour beer on each other when this comes down today.

Sometimes I am so embarrassed to live in Georgia. Anytime Chambliss opens his mouth this is so.

10. Straight Dave | December 18, 2010 at 12:05 am

Ditto. But he also has a lot of company – Sessions, etc. I wanted to scream at him thru the TV just now when he was griping about not paying attention to what the military wanted, specifically the Marine commandant. What he leaves out is the fact that right now Congress (that is, the 1993 Congress) is interfering in what the military thinks is best for itself. All this bill does is get Congress the hell out of the way and removes politics from the issue so the CIC and JCS can do the right thing. Obviously Graham, SessionsMcCain and their ilk don't want their slimy bigoted politics to be removed from the equation. They don't give a rat's ass about what's best for anyone but themselves.

One of them was just carrying on about visiting Bethesda Naval Hospital with Marines with limbs blown off, trying to boost the Commandant's credibility. However, those injuries obviously occurred with DADT in force. So what was his point? Just trying to stir up irrational emotions?
These so-called Senators (a term they do not deserve) are just taking a good opportunity to further tarnish their own honor and human decency. It's a sad thought to realize they have whole states lined up to re-elect them.
I need some breakfast. Way too grumpy already.

Happy days, everyone. We shall overcome. And spit on their graves.

11. adambink | December 18, 2010 at 12:10 am

Just a note folks, check out Update 7 above. If you've liked and appreciated the coverage here, please consider chipping a few shekels in to maintain it. Every dollar you pump in via the link below goes straight back into Prop8TrialTracker.com. Thanks.https://secure.couragecampaign.org/page/contribut…

12. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 12:10 am

Dave, it's too bad that US Marine Eric Alva couldn't have been there standing behind him when the crap was spewing from sessions mouth.

13. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 12:12 am

Morning everyone, just tuning in, looking for a fabulous day and wanted to thank Adam for all his hard work.

14. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 12:18 am

Happy Holidays Adam, I know it's not much but being unemployed sucks, and Keep up the good work.

At this point, I'm so frustrated with the Senate that I truly don't expect nothing but more fighting and stagnation. The Republicans are trying to ensure that Obama doesn't get anything he wants (and succeeding at that – they know that an Obama who accomplishes nothing will be harder to re-elect than one that accomplishes stuff, so their focus is on the Republicans winning the presidency, not on actually doing work), while the Democrats are trying to make it look like they are somehow different in views than the Republicans ("Uh, we don't want to give the rich a tax cut, but…I'll vote yes anyhow").

So I'm not too hopeful. We've been here several times, always with the same outcome. Maybe they'll surprise me – I hope so – but I can't put my hope in the US Senate right now.

16. Straight Dave | December 18, 2010 at 12:25 am

Just contributed. thanks for the guilt trip reminder, Adam
Seriously, you guys do a fantastic job, and results are starting to show. IF DADT goes down, I think that will mark a tipping point, largely because most people consider the military "special" and immune from normal rules, as well as being a bastion of excessively macho masculinity.

This sometimes seemed like a higher wall to scale than marriage. It's turning out not to be, but the psychological impact on the larger society should not be trivialized. The message is that LGBT are now real, legitimate, accepted, and valued. HUGE point!!!

then where will you put your hope,,,, you got to have hope….
the Senate is the place we're at today,,, not matter how many times it failed in the past,,,,,this is another chance, thanks to a lot of people's efforts, we get another kick at the can,,,, keep a singular focus, move this ball forward,,,, we are in no other place than the one that failed us before, all we can do, is watch this thing move and hope that after all the efforts, both up front, by everyone, and behind the scenes, lets score the touchdown,,,,,,which would be to land the bill on President Obama's desk,,,,,

That is what Obama asked of us, to push our senators, he asked his senators to work in session, to place that bill on his desk,,,,, we're giving it our last shot….

Right now my hope is on the senators that are in favour of ending discimination, and that there may be some more not yet counted for who the light dawns at the last minute, that ending discrimination,, is promoting American values… here's hoping we gotta hope….

24. Bob | December 18, 2010 at 12:47 am

is this live on cspan, can anyone post a link??? thanks

and again kudos to Adam,,,,, I'll be making a tip, (donation) for a job well executed,,, despite the outcome,,,,, we need to feed the messenger……

25. Ronnie | December 18, 2010 at 12:47 am

interesting…he should watch his words…if one open or not completely out soldier is killed in any way other then in combat…we'll know who to point the finger at….I'm just saying…. : I ….Ronnie

This McConnell guy is an ungrateful @$$hat…sorry, but no other way to put it….EVERY aspect of this says repeal it…the Marines are NOT the end-all-be-all……the Majority of the Armed Forces says repeal…President says repeal….& for the 1st time in American History the over whelming majority of the country agrees on something…& that is to repeal it…Religious Reich always go on & on about the majority…well here you go…the majority wants it repealed…but because they doesn't fall lock-in-step with the Religious Reich….the RR says…."I don't care what you say & I don't care what others say"…We have had the hearings that the RR wanted…..We have had the study that the RR wanted….because those aspects of this issue didn't produce the results they wanted they are throwing a pouting like little children….They need to grow up… : I …Ronnie

37. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 1:09 am

Dream Act time.

38. Richard Lulenski | December 18, 2010 at 1:12 am

Done!

39. mackenzie | December 18, 2010 at 1:16 am

I wish they would keep a tab so i could see the running tally!

40. Joel | December 18, 2010 at 1:20 am

Is the Dream Act vote a vote on cloture as well?

41. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 1:24 am

Yes

42. Grey | December 18, 2010 at 1:24 am

I agree..where is Sen. Collins…

I hope the Republicans aren't about to pull the wool over our eyes and torpedo this vote.

43. elliom | December 18, 2010 at 1:26 am

Yep, that's what they're voting on now.

44. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 1:32 am

55 to 41 on DREAM – no go.

45. elliom | December 18, 2010 at 1:32 am

Which just failed, so on to DADT.

46. Joel | December 18, 2010 at 1:32 am

Thanks

47. mackenzie | December 18, 2010 at 1:34 am

I am sad dream failed but now am super nervous for ours!

48. adambink | December 18, 2010 at 1:34 am

A few minutes of debate, then DADT vote will be up.

49. adambink | December 18, 2010 at 1:34 am

Thanks!

50. elliom | December 18, 2010 at 1:35 am

Mc Lame:

JUST SHUT-UP! You're about as relevant as Dick Cheny.

51. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 1:36 am

Seat belts, everyone. Here we go.

52. mackenzie | December 18, 2010 at 1:36 am

Mclame is just dumb……that was not even a fully formed argument. Here we go!

53. Ed | December 18, 2010 at 1:36 am

So is this it? Is it time?

54. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 1:37 am

Here we go folks, best of luck.

55. elliom | December 18, 2010 at 1:37 am

Ed:

This most definately is. Hang on! :>

56. Ronnie | December 18, 2010 at 1:37 am

& Now McCain has insulted & disrespected the Soldiers such as Eric Alba who sacrificed their physical being for this country….McCain you are disgusting…. >I …..Ronnie

57. Joel | December 18, 2010 at 1:38 am

Damn. The dream act failed. How many of those Senators are the spawn of immigrants?

58. Ed | December 18, 2010 at 1:38 am

I feel like i'm strapped into the biggest scariest roller coaster in the world….and we are about to crest the first hill…..

In my honest opinion, the real reason I hope the repeal fails in the senate is because we really need this to go through the court system. With this measure, the actual implementation of the repeal is too open-ended and will never happen. With a ruling in the courts striking DADT down as unconstitutional, the effect will be immediate. We need something where this falls and is done away with immediately. The study has been released and the RepubliCANTS still refuse to listen to reason, they still refuse to see the truth. They still refuse to back away from their own greed and refuse to back away from the big corporate money that is lining their pockets, especially after they got the rules changed on small businesses so that now included in the regulatory listings of small businesses are companies like Apple, IBM, GM, Ford, Chrysler, MicroSoft, and other companies with similarly huge incomes and payrolls. The RepubliCANTS are only concerned about the extremely wealthy and how to protecgt all of the blood money that they themselves have gained because of our wars. They know that if they let the LGBT service members remain, and do so opennly, that the wars will end because of the increase in skill levels and competence, and they don't want the war to end. They are making too much money off the war to let it end that easily.

93. Lesbians Love Boies | December 18, 2010 at 1:52 am

Thanks Jason and Elliom – when do they do the official vote now that debate is over?

30 hours from now. Not work hours but "clock" hours – as I understand it.

Welcome LLB and hugs!

102. Gregory in Salt Lake | December 18, 2010 at 1:55 am

My WOOT is colored by nay for Dream Act.

Hoping this federal decision will immediately move to get rid of DOMA…, et ALL

103. Ed | December 18, 2010 at 1:55 am

So wait….was that it? or is there another vote…..I'm not understanding this cloture thing….help!! LOL

104. Lesbians Love Boies | December 18, 2010 at 1:56 am

At least we can almost guess 63 in favor on the vote – I pray!

105. Lesbians Love Boies | December 18, 2010 at 1:56 am

Another vote Ed – no more than 30 hours from now.

106. elliom | December 18, 2010 at 1:58 am

OK…IANAPS (I am not a political scientist :>), but…

I think this measure limits any additional debate on this measure to 30 legislative hours (not necessarily 30 wall-clock hours). So, it could still be a bit of time before this is all resolved. However, I don't think they can take any additional legislative items until this has been voted on.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate

107. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 1:59 am

LLB – praying right along with you.

Anybody: Will the senate be in session tomorrow or do we wait for Monday?

108. Lesbians Love Boies | December 18, 2010 at 2:01 am

It might not be until Tuesday…

109. Dave | December 18, 2010 at 2:04 am

Glad DADT is going down, but like I said I knew people who the so called DREAM Act would have harmed.

Why did the DREAM Act need to distinguish people who came here with documentation and those who did not. Someone who has gone to HS here, and went to college here should be allowed a path to citizenship regardless if they are documented or not.

Fustrating to know people who have spent most of their lives in the U.S legally who will always be denyed the right to citizenship. A bill like the DREAM act hurts them because it reinforces the law that they will never be an American.

110. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 2:04 am

Richard, while I would like it to go through the courts and all the way to SCOTUS, with the congress repealing the law, it gives the services a chance to start getting ready, for implementation, before they could do nothing. Lets keep it moving in the courts but take this as a blessing.

111. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 2:05 am

LLB, After 17 years, what is another 30 hours?

112. Lesbians Love Boies | December 18, 2010 at 2:07 am

It's gonna be a long 30 hours!

113. Straight Dave | December 18, 2010 at 2:09 am

I agree that this is not the end of it. All this repeal does is take Congress out of the way. The military still has to adjust its own regulations, training, etc. Congress now (pending the next vote) has given them permission to do so but DOES NOT FORCE them to do so. This could take a while.

Meanwhile, I believe the court cases are still active and alive. The suits are against the US and the defense dept, not Congress. Until the military mends their ways, they remain legally vulnerable. The public statements from Jeh Johnson indicates he is very legally savvy. They know they're not out of the woods yet, but at least they don't have Congress hanging over their shoulder anymore. The military still has every incentive to hustle this along before the courts force them to. Until all residual crumbs of LGBT discrimination are cleared away, the courts will remain in play. I do think the Pentagon does get it.

Rev. Harrison, of the Lutheran Church — "We encourage you to let your elected leaders know that The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has a clear biblical position on this important issue.”

I wonder what that is. I didnt know there was a biblical view on gays serving in the military.

Rabbi Noson Leiter, of Orthodox Torah Jews for Decency — "urge Senators, GOP leadership, and swing Senators to do whatever it takes to stop the treasonous effort to force servicemen to betray their biblical beliefs.”

Wow! gays are so powerful, allowing treasonous gay to serve their county openly will force (force mind you) servicemen (and woman?) to betray their biblical beliefs. Again, Wow, how powerful are we. We can get these mondern day Christian bigots to do what the rack, red hot iron pinchers, the stake, and flaming faggots couldn't get a 1st century Christian to do to save his life.

Weak as water you people of the Missouri Snot Wad.

116. Bob | December 18, 2010 at 2:14 am

Okay, I followed through, sent my tip, come on folks,,,, after all this hard work and blogging our messenger is tired and hungry will you feed him……….

drop a small donation,,,,,, the messenger is famished,, spent,,,
replenish energy, renew hope, acknowledge efforts, nurture our community voice, at this time now,,,,,,

regardless of outcome in thirty hours, Courage Campaign, thanks to Adam Bink, has done their job, served us well, given us a voice, renew our resources, as we move forward…… cheers, from the Rainbow people of Canada….

117. Bob | December 18, 2010 at 2:20 am

@Bennett, please tell me where I can find more info about your post above re the Misery kSnot Wad……. that's the church my battle is with here in Canada….. I want more info.. thanks…

I understand where you are coming from, Freddy. At the same time, this means that we must continue to hold everyone's feet to the fire WRT certifying the results of the study so that the repeal is actually implemented. I live in a military town, in fact, I live in the area that is the home to the 82nd Airborne division. In a recent man on the street interview about the repeal of DADT 98% of the military families here were in favor of getting rid of it and extending the same benefits to the spouses and children of our LGBT service members that the straight families already have. And this was coming from both enlisted and commissioned officer families.

119. Gregory in Salt Lake | December 18, 2010 at 2:25 am

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

120. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 2:28 am

From the sounds of it, 2 1/2 more hours, 3 PM EST

121. Straight Dave | December 18, 2010 at 2:29 am

I think the senate just agreed to debate DADT and/or START until 3PM EST. Then the actual DADT vote. Not too bad. Let me run out and get some beer now – half for today, half for football tomorrow.
After that 63, I'm starting to believe, risky as that always is. But this one has been thru so much, I really can't see losing 13 votes in the next 2 1/2 hours. Put a fork in it.

122. Gregory in Salt Lake | December 18, 2010 at 2:30 am

1 sleep : )

123. Gregory in Salt Lake | December 18, 2010 at 2:32 am

Why does Reid say "2 1/2 hours to fulfill a promise?" what does it mean?

124. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 2:34 am

After all of the hard work, the messenger is famished and needs our help, time to contribute and feed the messenger. Also Bob, time to all all of the Senators that crossed the line and voted to end Cloture.

125. Freddy/Lar | December 18, 2010 at 2:37 am

Gregory, they are going to vote at 3PM to approve the amendment.

126. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 2:40 am

Vote will be at 3 pm EST today!! Just agreed to in the Senate. Stay tuned!

127. Gregory in Salt Lake | December 18, 2010 at 2:42 am

thanks for clarification….I hope they suspend all hearings for discharge as proposed!

@bJason, crying big tears here now, yes you can do something for me, wear your freedom with pride, take your place NOW with those of us people of the RAINBOW TRIBE, who have won our rightful place on the planet, join us people of the free world, put our shoulders together and lean into the task of extending our freedom to ALL…… welcome home, my friend, together we can soldier on,,, don't forget the price we paid for this victory, in terms of tax relief for the wealthy , we need to work towards equality and justice for the poor, on whose backs we may have just walked over to get here, but from this place of freedom , we can accomplish more…. let us begin to rescue other members of the Rainbow Tribe, who are presently under threat like those in Uganda,

Thanks bJason for asking what you can do for me, the answer, turn and lend a hand to the person behind we're moving on up…… cheers Bob

I'm so happy for those soldiers who have been serving in silence. I will look forward to the day when this is certified and they can serve openly. Our nation is a better nation today than it was yesterday.

We all should send big thank-you emails to the Republicans in particular who went against their party. Let them know we appreciate their courage.

134. Lesbians Love Boies | December 18, 2010 at 4:15 am

no sleeps! just wow

135. bJason | December 18, 2010 at 4:50 am

I can't say that I am proud of what freedoms I have but I am certainly grateful beyond measure for them. I look up and see nations such as yours as a goal – with hope and determination. I also look down and see many other nations, like Uganda, as a nightmare – with a need for action.

We are ALL in this fight together. I would that more people realized this and became active. The burden of the many rest on the shoulders of the few. You are one of the few and I am thankful for your part in this fight. I will stand next to you.